TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s former armed forces chief wants the U.S., Japan, and the Philippines to establish a joint reporting mechanism with Taiwan to deter China’s navy, according to a Nikkei interview on Thursday (Sept. 14).

Taiwan holds a “central strategic location” in the region, said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang (黃曙光). “If Taiwan was lost, China's military power would enter the Pacific Ocean, directly cutting off Japan and South Korea's 'lifeline' of commerce, oil imports and trade, and China could completely impose its will over the entire South China Sea," Huang said.

Huang said that Russia, North Korea, and China pose a direct threat to Japan and South Korea. "We should establish a good joint reporting mechanism with Japan, the U.S., and the Philippines to share the information each of us collects regarding Chinese military activities in the region's seas and skies," he said.

"Taiwan can't be surrounded by China from all sides. Otherwise, we'll be doomed," Huang said.

Admiral Huang Shu-kuang. (Ministry of National Defense, R.O.C Naval Command photo)

On Sept. 12, Japan elevated security ties with Taiwan by appointing a serving government official to act as its defense envoy in the country. Sources told Reuters that the envoy has been joined by an official from Japan’s defense ministry who will enhance information gathering and communications with Taiwan’s military.

The U.S. passed a bill that would expedite arms sales to Taiwan in August, but the extent of the two sides’ information sharing is unknown. The Philippines, on the other hand, has clearly rejected the idea of military cooperation with Taiwan, with its defense chief saying in July it has "a zero possibility (of) happening." 

Huang’s suggestion comes after a China Coast Guard boat shot a water cannon at a Philippines military supply vessel in the South China Sea. Following the incident, the Philippines Navy and U.S. Navy conducted a joint sail exercise in the region for the first time in early September.